The Kenneth E. Swain Science Hall at Coastal Carolina University was officially dedicated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony today, Aug. 23. The $15 million, 40,000-square-foot building has state-of-the-art research space and equipment for labs and classrooms.

Swain Hall contains approximately 30 faculty offices and 20 science laboratories. Biology, chemistry, environmental science and health promotion will be housed in the new science building.

Keycard access will be necessary to enter most of the labs, such as the herbarium, located on the first floor. On the second floor there is a walk-in cold storage room for experiments that require controlled temperatures. The second floor is also home of the reptile room. The labs are furnished with top-notch equipment, such as sterile tissue culture areas for experimentation; a dozen water polishing units, capable of extracting impurities from liquids; and a "fly-pushing" room, which will be used for circadian sleep cycle studies.

Lab spaces are designed for multiple disciplines, such as genetics, cellular/microbiology and organic/biochemistry. The collaborative classrooms come complete with whiteboard cabinet doors, ample storage space and demonstration tables.

The new building is named for Kenneth E. Swain. A retired Myrtle Beach pharmacist, realtor and environmentalist, Swain made a substantial gift to CCU in 2008. Before pledging to provide CCU with a new science building, he set up the Swain Scholars program, which awards four juniors and four seniors with an annual $5,000 scholarship for research and outreach projects related to health sciences, an area of particular interest to Swain.

"This building is a testament to your compassion for the community," CCU President David DeCenzo told Swain in his remarks at the ceremony.

Swain was presented with a marble mortar and pestle to commemorate the occasion.